Torpedo-boat and locking and launching mechanism



W. B. SHEAREII. TORPEDO BOAT AND LOCKING AND LAUNCHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-29, I9I9.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

o INVENTOR I ATTORNEY W. B. SHEARER. v I I TORPEDO BOAT AND LOCKING AND LAUNCHING MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED mm, I919. v 1,357,52 Patented Nov. 2,1920.

// /IIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR WILL/HM ESHEMER Q er WW A TTORNEY V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. SHEARER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,' ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL TORPEDO BOAT CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON,

WARE.

DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- TORPEDO-BOAT AND LOCKING AND LAUNCI-IING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

7 Application filed January 29,1919. Serial No. 273,850.

the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Boats and Looking and Launching Mechanism, of which the, following is a specification.

In my application No. 206,407 I have described a boat, the forward portion of which carries a torpedo and is adapted to be flooded and to have its bow lifted and mechanism for releasing the torpedo and starting its engines so that it may launch or propel itself directly out of the flooded boat. The present application relates to a boat of the same general type with certain improvements in the construction and in the mechanism for locking, guiding and launching the torpedo.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the" boat with a torpedo therein;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the forward part of the boat just below the deck;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section'on the line 33, Figs. 1 and 2; p

Fig. iis a cross-section of certain controlling mechanism, on the line H of Figs.

1 and 5; V a

Fig. 5 is a plan and Fig. 6 a side elevation of the controlling, locking and launching de vices.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the boat is of ordinary shape with bottom plates A and side plates.

awash or slightly submerged according to the quantity of water admitted within the hull.

.At the stern there is provided an operators compartment F which is cut off from the torpedo space and is carried sufficiently above the deck to enable the operator to look out and direct its course. The operators compartment has a cover or hatch Gr hinged at its rear end and with a window H at the forward end through which the operator can make his observations. Preferably also a hatch J is provided hinged at its forward end so that when the two hatches are thrown open the interior will be easily accessible. In the operators compartment F there is the steering Wheel K, the driving engine L and suitable controls therefor, also a pump M for pumping out the water from the torpedo space N, the inlet of the pump passing through the transverse bulkhead O which separates the two compartments. A

R extending transversely at about the level of the deck. This is doneby means of a rod S mounted in bearings on the top of the deck and extending back through a stufling box T, its rear end being in the form of a worm which is threaded through a pinion U drivenby a hand crank on a gear V. Just to therear of the hinged deck D the rod S is brokemthe two parts being connected by a coupling pin W. hen the deck is to be raised the coupling pin is withdrawn so that the forward part may be raised with the deck and without disturbing the rear part. When a torpedo has been lowered into the boat and the deck closed the coupling pin is again inserted so as to permit the opera tion of the bow from the operators compartment. The rod S is connected near its forward end by a link X with a bracket Y on the top of the hinged bow, so that pulling on the rod will lift the bow to the dotted line position illustrated, and pushing the rod the pivot pin which connects them, when the deck is to be opened. At the same time the bow ought to be kept firmly closed. For this purpose a link Z is fastened to the bracket Y on thebow and also to a bracket 2 on the deck just forward of the part D which has to be lifted'to admit a torpedo.

After a torpedo has been introduced and the deck closed and the link X again connected to the bracket Y the link Z' will be disconnected from the bracket 2 so .that the bow may be subsequently openedby pulling the rod S. V I

There is a second longitudinally extending rod 3 for controlling the torpedo as herein after described and which runs back to the r the withdrawal of the bow of the boat the rod 3 is provided with a lock which holds it' until the rod S is pulled and the bow completely lifted. The locking device is shown inFigs. 4 and 5. A collar 7 on the rod 3 has ashoulcler for engagement with an arm 8 on a short shaft 9 mounted in any suitable bearings in thecock pitand having an upwardly'extending arm 10 in the path of a striker 11 fastened on the rod S Thearm or pawl 8 holds the rod 3in its extreme forward position until the rod S is drawn back and striker 11 engages the arm 10 and lifts the pawl 8, holding it in this position until the rod S is again pusl e'd'forward'.

The torpedo 12 in thehull rests on guide rollers 13 mounted on brackets within the bottom of the boat and has on its upper side a guide stud '14 which is engaged by guides 15 which guide the torpedo until, after it-is started in motiomit extends a considerable distance out of the bow of the boat. The guides 15 are extended into the bow as shown in 1 and the latter'is shaped to clear these guides as it is lifted. The guides 15 depend from a longitudinal member 16 carried on the underside of a guide frame 17 which is located a shortdistance below the removable deck D and hinged so as to be swung upto admit thetorpedo. At the rear end of the torpedo'there is preferably also a second guide stud 18traveling in the guides 15, these two studs guiding the torpedo in horizontal position. At the rear end of the guides 15 they are notched or cut away as shown at 19 in Fig; 2, and similar notches 20 (Fig. 5) are formed in said guides at an intermediate point, these notches serving topermit the passing of the guides 15 down over the head of theguide studs 18 and 1 4 respectively. The torpedo being introduced, the frame 17 with the guides has to be low: ered. The torpedo will first be so locatedlengthwise that the notches 19 and 20 will pass over the heads of the torpedo studs. Thereupon the torpedo will be shoved forward slightly to bring the studs into engagement with the full portions of the guides.

Just forward of the notches 20 in the guides is a pair of stops for holding the torpe'do against longitudinal movement until suchtime as it is to be launched. Each of thesestops comprises a pivoted arm 21 with a flange 22 adapted to lie directly across the face of the stud 14 the pivots 23 being close alongside the stud so that the flanges 22 will form a secure lock against longitudinal movement of the stud. The locks 21 have arms '24 which have a slotted engagement with pins on the ends of links 25 which are pivoted at their opposite ends to a lever 26 mounted on the plate '16 and 7 having one arm extended and pivotally connected to the operating rod 3.

The torpedo being shoved to approximately the position shown, the pushing'of the rod 3 will force the locking flanges 22 from the dotted line positions gradually inward and one or the other will engage an end'of the stud 14 and force the latter forward or backward until the two opposite flanges move home into close locking engagement with the stud in both directions. When the torpedo is to be launched the rod 3 is pulledjfirst swinging the locking flanges 22 out of the path of the stud. Thereafter 7 the movement continues, the slots inlthe arm 24 allowing this, until an arm 27, Fig. 1, on

the rod 3 strikes a starting lever 28 on the torpedo and puts its engine in motion so that its propellers gradually propel it out of the boat. Instead of the arm 27, a lanyard or other suitable device may be used for throwing the starting lever 28.v

As-will appear from Fig. 3' there is a considerab le space all around the torpedo in I addition to the spaces at its ends, all of whichspaces are flooded when the bow is opened. This provides a considerable quam tity of water, suflicient to provide for the torpedopropelling itself smoothly while still within the boat, with sufiicient resistance and at the same'time without racing ofthe I practically balanced the" same as when inthe open sea; There will be little or no pressure 7 on the guides and it will move freely under its propelling power; 7

, Though I have described with great particularly of detail certain embodiments of the invention yet it is not to beunderstood therefrom that the invention is restricted to the embodiments described. Various modifications in detail and in the arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims. The de scribed locking means may also be used with other styles of torpedo boats; for example, Where the torpedo is carried in a special launchin tube.

What claim isl. A boat having a torpedo -receiving space adapted to be flooded with water to support the torpedo and a movable stop adapted to engage a part of the torpedo and to shift it longitudinally and lock it in position.

2. A boat having a torpedo -receiving space adapted to be flooded with water to support the torpedo and a pair of movable stops adapted to engage opposite ends of a part of the torpedo and to hold the same against longitudinal movement.

3. A boat having a torpedo -receiving space and a lock comprising an arm 21 pivoted alongside a part of the torpedo and having a flange 22 adapted to engage the end of said part of the torpedo to lock the same.

4. A boat having a torpedo-receiving space and a pair of pivoted arms having at their ends stops adapted to engage opposite ends of a part of the torpedo and to lock the same between them.

5. A boat having a torpedo -receiving space, means for opening the forward end of said space to permit the launching of the torpedo, a lock for the torpedo within the boat, a rod for withdrawing said lock and strating the engine of the torpedo and means for preventing the unlocking and starting operation of said rod until the forward end of said space shall have been opened.

6. A boat having a torpedo l receiving space, means for opening the forward end of said space to permit the launching of the torpedo, a lock for the torpedo within the boat, a rod for withdrawing said lock and starting the engine of the torpedo and means for preventing the unlocking and starting operation of said rod until the forward end of said space shall have been opened, a shoulder carried by said rod and a pawl adapted to hold said rod in its locking position and adapted to be withdrawn by said opening means at the end of the opening operation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

' WILLIAM B. SHEARER. 

